Fog is a funny thing really. I could probably do some research and give you a number of scientific facts about it, but I’d rather just share what I’ve been thinking about since the recent ice storm that came through WNC.
Fog forces you to slow down. You suddenly cannot see very far down the road, so you have to concentrate on what you can see. Often, that means just focusing on the next moment. It puts your mind on high alert. Since things are harder to see, you have to pay more attention. And the thing about fog is that it settles on the highest of mountaintops and in the lowest of valleys. No-one is exempt from it.
Metaphorically, fog settles on all of our lives at some point. It could be a variety of circumstances: losing a job, family breakups, financial struggles, sickness, death, etc. All of these situations are similar to the fog. Suddenly, you are forced to slow down a little. You cannot see the bigger picture. You have to focus on just taking the next steps. And no-one is exempt from it. Everyone at some point will find themselves in the fog.
For me, the most recent fog has come in the form of sickness. As of Saturday, it has been 3 months since the day I woke up in Lesotho, Africa not feeling well. And I would be lying if I said it was easy. Between doctors appointments, tests and constantly calling the insurance company, some days have been a struggle. And suddenly, I cannot think about the next 3 steps, because I have to focus on just taking the next one.
BUT, somehow someway, I have grown to appreciate the fog. It has slowed me down tremendously and it has made me seek the Lord in new ways. It has made me find beauty in the cold winter season that I’ve found myself in. The kind of beauty that you rush past if you aren’t forced to slow down.
My junior high school softball teacher told us when I was in the 8th grade that you shouldn’t use high beams in the fog. Once I started driving, I learned it is because the light will reflect off the water vapor that is suspended in the air back to your windshield and it actually makes it harder to see through the fog. But I’ve found that spiritually, the only thing that gets me out of the fog is turning those high beams on by worshiping. When I start to worship, I forget about the struggles even if just for a moment and I remember who holds it all. I remember that though I cannot see it, there is a bigger picture and our Father in heaven is right there with me. Just as the fog is comprised of water vapor suspended in the air, our Father is the living water in the midst of our fog. And though it may feel isolating, He is right there with us through it all. And when we turn our spiritual high beams on, His light floods around us and the fog is harder to see.
So though I am not exactly living it up right now and I don’t know when I will get to join up with my WR America team, I will appreciate the fog. I will appreciate the beauty that is found in this wintry season. And I will choose joy in the midst of it all.
So I challenge you to slow down. Take a look around. And find the beauty around you.
